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N Korea's Kim spotted in Shenzhen

Kim Jong-Il, North Korea's reclusive leader, is believed to be visiting high-tech firms in southern China's economic boomtown of Shenzhen, the Japanese public broadcaster has reported.

15 Jan 2006 05:46 GMT

There has been speculation over Kim's whereabouts

NHK broadcast grainy, blurred footage showing a man with a bouffant hairstyle -- Kim's trademark -- and dark glasses leaving a luxury hotel in Shenzhen early Sunday and getting into a black car.

The car sped off while men in black kept watch from the sidewalk.

Kim is believed to have visited high-tech companies in Shenzhen, as the car which left the hotel was later spotted in a convoy of vehicles on the road leading to an area that is home to a cluster of technology firms, NHK said.

China has maintained a media blackout on Kim Jong-Il as reports from overseas continued to suggest he was paying a clandestine visit to the country.

With no confirmation from Beijing or Pyongyang, there has been frenzied speculation over Kim's whereabouts since he was reported to have crossed into China in a special train on Tuesday.

Kim last visited China, North Korea's strongest political and ideological ally, in April 2004 when he held talks with leaders in Beijing.